GRiD Systems Corp. (Mountain View, Calif.)

The GRiD Compass is a milestone system, as it was probably the first true laptop sold. It featured several unusual features, including a magnesium case (lightweight and durable) and bubble memory and ROM packs in place of a floppy disk drive. All Compass models are among the more desirable laptop collectibles. In late 1983, GRiD introduced a Compass Model 1107 at more than $14,000. It was expensive because it was built to meet Department of Defense Tempest standards designed to block the emission of radio signals from the computer. GRiD billed the 1107 as an espionage proof portable. The Compass II offered several incremental improvements over the Compass, including the Model 1131 that offered a 128-column ELD.

The three GRiDCase models were defined by their video displays. The GRiDCase I had an LCD, the GRiDCase II had an enhanced LCD, and the GRiDCase II had a gas plasma display.

The GRiDCase EXP was a GRiDCase Plus with a bigger enclosure to house two PC XT-compatible expansion slots. The EXP model was aimed at the field automation market. The GRiDCase 1500 series represented several industry firsts. GRiD claimed that the GRiDCase 1500 was the first battery-powered laptop to use the low-power 80C286 and 80C386 CPUs. Several months after its introduction, the GRiDCase 1500 became the first laptop to use a high resolution 640 x 400 LCD. In early 1988, the 80C386 version became the first laptop to offer a Unix-based operating system.

The GRiDLite was the first laptop to offer EMS memory as an option–up to 1MB. This feature was extended to the existing GRiDCase Plus line introduced in late 1987. The GRiDCase Plus had a faster CPU and an optional 10MB hard drive.

In June 1988, GRiD was acquired by Tandy Corp., the parent company of Radio Shack and manufacturer of TRS-80 computer lines. Tandy maintained the GRiD laptop and desktop brands as its high-end offering. GRiD produced several interesting pen-based portables while part of Tandy.